Konsta Helenius #19 of Team Finland and Logan Hensler #3 of Team USA (Photo by Minas Panagiotakis/Getty Images)
According to the latest 2025 NHL Draft rankings and mock drafts, University of Wisconsin defenseman Logan Hensler is expected to be drafted anywhere from 10th to 20th in the first round of the draft that takes place June 27-28 in Los Angeles, California.
After a slow start to his freshman season for the Badgers, the 6-foot-2, 196-pound, 18-year-old blue liner had a strong performance for USA at the 2025 U20 World Junior Championships. Hensler’s game picked up from there, as he finished the season with two goals and 10 assists in 32 games.
RG caught up with Hensler recently as he prepared for the NHL Draft Combine that takes place June 1-7 in Buffalo, NY.
How did your first season of college hockey go?
“I thought I started a bit slow, and it took some time to get used to the speed of the game and how much bigger the players are. After a bit, though, I settled in and started to realize the different things I need to do to stay in the lineup and succeed. The little things matter, and I realized that right away. You need to make sure you’re doing those things every shift and also every off day too.”
How was it dealing with the hype for this year’s NHL Draft and the expectations?
“I won’t lie; it can be a lot at times, but I got to go to the draft last year, and I kinda got to see that anything can happen. That was a big eye-opener for me. Now, I just have the attitude that I wanna go to a team that wants me, and kinda anything can happen, so I can’t really get too worked up or caught up on things.”
Has there been anyone who has helped you prepare for the Draft?
“I worked a lot with the guys who are drafted, so I can see the whole process they went through and what to expect and how to handle it. It’s been really cool to learn from them and have that experience.”
Has the fact that scouts are paying much more attention to you now affected your game at all?
“I just try to stay between the glass, honestly, and kind of play my game and let my game show them like I deserve to be where I am and all that, so I kind of let my game take over and stay inside the glass.”
What was the aspect of your game you were trying to improve on the most this past season?
“I think the defensive side. Using my frame in my game more to box guys out and give them less space. Also, just being smarter with the puck in the d-zone and breaking it out better with my speed and purpose.”
How have the interviews for the Draft been going, and can you tell when a team is really interested in you?
“I’ve been talking to teams throughout the year, but I think it got more serious when the final draft rankings came out. The combine is where it goes to another level, obviously, so I’m just preparing for that.”
What have the questions been like, and what do you think they will be like at the Combine?
“Overall, I mean, I haven’t been thrown any crazy questions, which I’m thankful for. They just ask questions to understand more about what type of person you are. How do you get along with your family, friends, teammates, classmates… stuff like that. They want to know they’re drafting a good person, not just a good player. You show them the player on the ice. Here, they’re just trying to get to know who you are.”
Finally, for the fans, who is a player or players you’ve tried to model your game after?
“Growing up in Minnesota, when I was really young, Brent Burns when he was on the Wild. I mean, I was pretty young when he played for them, but I still watch highlights on YouTube and love his game. Right now, though, it’s Jake Sanderson. He’s such a complete player and can do pretty much anything. I love how he’s explosive but can also simplify his game out there when he needs to.”
With 24 years of experience (SiriusXM NHL Network Radio, ESPN Boston, NESN, NHL.com, etc.) covering the Bruins, the NHL, NCAA and junior hockey, and more, Jimmy Murphy’s hockey black book is filled with Hall of Famers, current players, coaches, management, scouts and a wide array of hockey media personalities that have lived in and around this great game. For 22 of his 24 years as a hockey and sports reporter, Murphy covered the Bruins on a daily basis, including their victorious 2011 Stanley Cup run and their runs to the 2013 and 2019 Finals. Murphy is currently a co-host, along with Pierre McGuire, on The Eye Test Podcast.
